So we have a core MM thing going on, in the exploration of identity.
Peggy is still between the proto-hippy and the old guard. Yet again the proto-hippy guy disrespects her and cares not for what she her own self cares about, her work; of course thinking and insisting he's right and gentle and righteous but is really nothing other than a bully. In addition, Peggy needs not nor wants a Superman, but he tries to be, not well rounded enough to know that's what he's really doing to her. He's wrong but insists he's right.
Sally is at the same time a rebel from Betty, yet a model of Betty.
Dr. Faye is down a certain path, having identity come in to play with her about what she feels Don is assuming she's supposed to be vs who she really is.
Joan is getting a little bit of it as well. Joan is caught somewhere between the identity of Blankenship, but also she was somewhat the proto-Peggy before Peggy, but she's closer to Blankenship.
Then Blankenship dies. Bert and Roger are a bit tore up. It's the beginning of the end of the old guard.
Roger has stared death in the face before. His war experience. His 2 coronaries. And now, the mugging could have gone that way. He dealt with the coronaries through Joan and sex. He dealt with it also through marrying, and more likely sex, with Jane. Here, the mugging, he deals with it through sex yet again.
Identity again with apparently from last episode Don telling Faye Gene thinks his Daddy is someone else. Now here Sally is getting along fine with Faye as a surrogate Mommy, and in the end also hugs greatly, and affects, Megan the hugging secretary. Sally doesn't like her Mommy yet right now seems ok with someone else being her identity Mommy as long as she's connected with Daddy.
What's also interesting is Don had said to blonde Anna he wants her to meet his kids, and after there is no more Anna, suddenly Don is all sweetheart on blonde-semi-Anna/Betty clone Dr. Faye. And here he trusts her with his kid in a home-y sorta way. Don is still searching even if it isn't overt and our attention was directed elsewhere.
Probably nothing: But, Roger after Blankenship dies, in being with Joan, takes her hand. Roger's confiding usually consists of telling her she's the best piece of ass he's had. Here, he takes her hand. Don took Peggy's hand in a different way, but still, after Don should have done that with Allison. Roger should have done that before instead of parakeets and jokes, if you remember season 1. He's doing it now though. They both Roger and Don should have been able to offer that before and didn't; but they're both at that point now.
The new young guard is busy angry philosophizing in their moments of angst, the old guard is embracing hands in their moments of angst. Differences.
Two great edits: Don at the end, when you didn't think he'd take that drink but he does; and the edit is immediately to Peggy doing the same.
Also, the end shot in the elevator. The 3 women, Don's women and their differences yet all connected by him. Joan: the old guard. Faye: the seemingly Betty surrogate he apparently needs. Peggy: the one who is most mirrored to him. Peggy, the porridge in the middle we all actually want in someone.
It's another exploration of the idea of 3 they've done before and the idea of identity this episode. Great episode. Makes your brain hurt but it's worth it.
Roger's painting/Freddy/Blankenship/the bell tolling
I thought a lot of Roger and Bert's reaction to Blankenship was sort of symbolic in that her passing was the beginning of the end. As in she's the first one to go, but they're all gonna go, but not go necessarily through death however.
Isn't that kind of what the difference between 60 now-65 is? The beginning of the end of the Rogers of the world? Isn't that one of the slow Mad Men themes?
That's why I think everyone there took it in a normal form of sadness and shock, yet Roger and Bert took it harder. Bert for obvious reasons we found out 2 episodes ago but even outside of that. (suddenly Roger has feelings in taking Joan's hand. Suddenly Cooper has feelings too). It's like Blankenship's passing is the first shot fired, if you will, in the end of the Rogers and Coopers. That's why they took it harder than everyone else.
I was reminded of when Freddy shows up this season. He says to Roger about the painting the new guard Jane put in his office, "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked into that".
To me that was about foreshadowing, something outside yourself that you can't stop that is coming to suck you up and eliminate you. A vacuum. A black hole. Something that is new, and not you, that will get you. That's the spiral function of the painting. That's the "sucking me into it" aspect. The sucking me into it aspect is metaphorical of the generation that made the painting, that's going to suck up and spit out the Freddys (and Rogers and Berts {and Dons?? we'll see} of the world.
That's what I thought the painting and Freddy's comment were both about. Something coming to get you, that you can't stop. Freddy back looking at the youth in the new office, dealing with young Peggy who now has authority. "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked up into that" as in bad change is coming for him in due time and he will not win.
And now, Blankenship is gone. She's the first of that ilk. Who is next? Could have and should have been Roger more than once.
Is it about the end of an era, the end of a people? Is that kind of what the painting is about? I think so, per Freddy's comment. "I feel like I'm gonna sucked into that thing", as in a looming professional and personal death. There's something new guard about to suck you old guard up to eliminate you and your kind.
Also, then Peggy later yelled at Freddy telling him he's old. After that... we haven't seen much of him.
Do the Freddys of the world feel like they're about to be sucked up? All the while Roger has had the reaper coming. Blankenship is now dead.
MAD MEN
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Ep 9: More Exploration of Identity.
So we have a core MM thing going on, in the exploration of identity.
Peggy is still between the proto-hippy and the old guard. Yet again the proto-hippy guy disrespects her and cares not for what she her own self cares about, her work; of course thinking and insisting he's right and gentle and righteous but is really nothing other than a bully. In addition, Peggy needs not nor wants a Superman, but he tries to be, not well rounded enough to know that's what he's really doing to her. He's wrong but insists he's right.
Sally is at the same time a rebel from Betty, yet a model of Betty.
Dr. Faye is down a certain path, having identity come in to play with her about what she feels Don is assuming she's supposed to be vs who she really is.
Joan is getting a little bit of it as well. Joan is caught somewhere between the identity of Blankenship, but also she was somewhat the proto-Peggy before Peggy, but she's closer to Blankenship.
Then Blankenship dies. Bert and Roger are a bit tore up. It's the beginning of the end of the old guard.
Roger has stared death in the face before. His war experience. His 2 coronaries. And now, the mugging could have gone that way. He dealt with the coronaries through Joan and sex. He dealt with it also through marrying, and more likely sex, with Jane. Here, the mugging, he deals with it through sex yet again.
Identity again with apparently from last episode Don telling Faye Gene thinks his Daddy is someone else. Now here Sally is getting along fine with Faye as a surrogate Mommy, and in the end also hugs greatly, and affects, Megan the hugging secretary. Sally doesn't like her Mommy yet right now seems ok with someone else being her identity Mommy as long as she's connected with Daddy.
What's also interesting is Don had said to blonde Anna he wants her to meet his kids, and after there is no more Anna, suddenly Don is all sweetheart on blonde-semi-Anna/Betty clone Dr. Faye. And here he trusts her with his kid in a home-y sorta way. Don is still searching even if it isn't overt and our attention was directed elsewhere.
Probably nothing: But, Roger after Blankenship dies, in being with Joan, takes her hand. Roger's confiding usually consists of telling her she's the best piece of ass he's had. Here, he takes her hand. Don took Peggy's hand in a different way, but still, after Don should have done that with Allison. Roger should have done that before instead of parakeets and jokes, if you remember season 1. He's doing it now though. They both Roger and Don should have been able to offer that before and didn't; but they're both at that point now.
The new young guard is busy angry philosophizing in their moments of angst, the old guard is embracing hands in their moments of angst. Differences.
Two great edits: Don at the end, when you didn't think he'd take that drink but he does; and the edit is immediately to Peggy doing the same.
Also, the end shot in the elevator. The 3 women, Don's women and their differences yet all connected by him. Joan: the old guard. Faye: the seemingly Betty surrogate he apparently needs. Peggy: the one who is most mirrored to him. Peggy, the porridge in the middle we all actually want in someone.
It's another exploration of the idea of 3 they've done before and the idea of identity this episode. Great episode. Makes your brain hurt but it's worth it.
Roger's painting/Freddy/Blankenship/the bell tolling
I thought a lot of Roger and Bert's reaction to Blankenship was sort of symbolic in that her passing was the beginning of the end. As in she's the first one to go, but they're all gonna go, but not go necessarily through death however.
Isn't that kind of what the difference between 60 now-65 is? The beginning of the end of the Rogers of the world? Isn't that one of the slow Mad Men themes?
That's why I think everyone there took it in a normal form of sadness and shock, yet Roger and Bert took it harder. Bert for obvious reasons we found out 2 episodes ago but even outside of that. (suddenly Roger has feelings in taking Joan's hand. Suddenly Cooper has feelings too). It's like Blankenship's passing is the first shot fired, if you will, in the end of the Rogers and Coopers. That's why they took it harder than everyone else.
I was reminded of when Freddy shows up this season. He says to Roger about the painting the new guard Jane put in his office, "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked into that".
To me that was about foreshadowing, something outside yourself that you can't stop that is coming to suck you up and eliminate you. A vacuum. A black hole. Something that is new, and not you, that will get you. That's the spiral function of the painting. That's the "sucking me into it" aspect. The sucking me into it aspect is metaphorical of the generation that made the painting, that's going to suck up and spit out the Freddys (and Rogers and Berts {and Dons?? we'll see} of the world.
That's what I thought the painting and Freddy's comment were both about. Something coming to get you, that you can't stop. Freddy back looking at the youth in the new office, dealing with young Peggy who now has authority. "I feel like I'm gonna get sucked up into that" as in bad change is coming for him in due time and he will not win.
And now, Blankenship is gone. She's the first of that ilk. Who is next? Could have and should have been Roger more than once.
Is it about the end of an era, the end of a people? Is that kind of what the painting is about? I think so, per Freddy's comment. "I feel like I'm gonna sucked into that thing", as in a looming professional and personal death. There's something new guard about to suck you old guard up to eliminate you and your kind.
Also, then Peggy later yelled at Freddy telling him he's old. After that... we haven't seen much of him.
Do the Freddys of the world feel like they're about to be sucked up? All the while Roger has had the reaper coming. Blankenship is now dead.
Is the bell tolling?
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